The Redemption: Kickboxer 5

As usual Dacascos displays some excellent moves and great style in the fight scenes. The choreography ain't half bad either. However, thats the only compliment I can come up with for this movie. The dialogue will have you cringing and the plot is extremely weak and full of holes.

"Matt Reeves, a retired kickboxing champion must resharpen his hard-hitting fighting skills in order to take on his best friend's murderer in an explosive fight to the death." This film is full of exciting explosive action and contains some decent acting. Mark Dacascos shows off some awesome martial arts moves and the fight choreography is fast-paced and original. The storyline is nothing new but this movie has better action and excitement then the first 3 sequels. I bought the 5-disc DVD collection and was happily surprised with how entertaining the film was. After watching the Kickboxer 2,3 & 4, Redemption:Kickboxer 5 is without a doubt the second best film in the series. if you like martial arts action films this is a movie you will probably enjoy and have a good time watching. If your not a hardcore kickboxer fan you might not appreciate it. But it is also one of Dacascos' best films.

This killed the whole Kickboxer series. I can't believe they said that David Sloan died in the beginning of the movie. Tong Po wasn't finished yet, because he ran away in part 4. The real Kickboxer Series Saga didn't end. If they made Kickboxer 5, it should have been about the Sloans again. I was so angry!!!! They shouldn't have called this Kickboxer 5. They just wanted Kickboxer fans too see it. If you are a Kickboxer fan, don't watch this one, it has nothing to do with the other Kickboxers. They should have called this movie something else. Why did they call it "Kickboxer 5". It's probably a good martial arts flick, but it shouldn't have been the sequel to the Sloan Saga.

Continuing my journey through the Kickboxer universe, I've arrived at Kickboxer 5, the last (so far) numbered sequel. Unfortunately, they saved the worst for last.

From the get go, the cheapness is overwhelmingly obvious. When your opening title sequence looks cheaper than the last iPhone video you took of your cat chasing a flashlight beam, you know you're in trouble.

David Sloan is gone, murdered by a South African kickboxing syndicate for reasons I'm not entirely sure of. Are kickboxers kidnapped, falsely imprisoned, and murdered as much in real life as they are in the Kickboxer movies?

The always-awesome Mark Dacascos plays...I don't remember his character's name. I'll just call him Kickboxer. Kickboxer has to go to South Africa and do something kickboxing related...I think. I just finished watching it and I really don't remember.

One unusual plot point that is never expounded upon is the relationship between Kickboxer and his elderly, sweater-vest wearing, gentleman friend. At first, it seems that the gentleman is Kickboxer's gym manager, but a bit later, it appears they live together. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

MST3K fans will, of course, recognize James Ryan , here playing the head of the evil South Africa kickboxing syndicate, as "MacPhearson" from the classic Space Mutiny episode. Every time he appeared on screen I reflexively started yelling out David Ryder's nicknames.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to moving on to the next entry in the franchise.

Mark Dacascos delivers the moves and his usual workman-like acting job in this utterly predictable martial arts revenge flick. James Ryan is appropriately evil and vicious--until he just caves before our hero. But little, not even the location filming in South Africa, can save this by-the-numbers film, especially with a climax that is...well, just not climactic.